Pub. 3 2013-2014 Issue 2

12 Grant Writing For Teachers BY BECKY GARZELLA, MOUNTAINVILLE ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL S o you want to write a grant? You have a great idea or you need something that the school does not have money to fund. A grant might be a good solution. Basically, there are 2 types of grants. One is a “free money” type of grant where parents register their frequent shopper card or turn in box tops or maybe sent in a copy of their student’s report card and then a company gives the school money. I even think of recycling in this category because you collect items, then send them in and receive funds. So while it may take a bit longer to obtain the fund- ing for your project in this way, it is a fairly simple way to get funds and the funds add up over time. For the second type of grant, you write and submit a proposal with a specific request to a grant maker, usually a company or foundation and then they send you money for that specific project or purpose. Ok, so now you know what you want, how do you get it funded? Most grants fund specific projects. Very few are going to give you dollars for items unless you have a proj- ect that goes along with your request. For example, maybe you would like some iPads. What will you use them for? Do you need to help struggling readers? Possibly you have a fantastic science or history project? The first thing you need to think about is your project. What project will you use the resources for? How much do the items you need cost? Who will be using them and when will your project begin and end? Why is your project important? How will you measure the success of your project? Next you need to find a funding resource. Probably the easiest funding resources to find help from are ones that are local. Does a local store in your community have a grant? How about local companies nearby your school? Is there a parent in your class whose company might have a grant? If your project is not that large, possibly appeal to your PTO/FSO/PTA. Sometimes they have dollars set aside to fund teacher projects. The USOE also has some great resources that you can use. Rick Gaisford, USOE Educational Technology Special- ist has listed multiple resources and grant- writing helps on his web page at http://my.uen.org/myuen/39/8. Many of these resources are local opportunities and we have had several successes with them at our school. Talking to colleagues can also be a helpful way to find opportunities. If someone else in the area has won an opportunity, then maybe you might have a chance the fol- lowing application cycle. If you are interested in technol- ogy, I also recommend the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology (UCET) blog and web page, ucet.org . UCET has an email that you can subscribe to that lists technol- ogy resources for teachers and also has grant opportuni- ties occasionally. Once you’ve found a place to apply, it is time to write up your idea. Maybe you have a grant writer at your school that can help you. Probably you will need to get some help from your school business manager to get tax id information, demographics, and/or accounting information. Many applications also need administrator or supervisor approval and some need a letter of support. Always remember to coordinate with your school when applying for a grant. Finally, when you win a grant, don’t forget to write a thank you note! Thanking the folks who have supported your idea is very important! Possibly ask your school to recognize your supporter in one of their parent commu- nications or ask the school to write a quick press release or post recognition of the donor on their web site. You could also post something on your personal web page. Many awards require the recipient to write a report, some do not. If a report is required, be sure to write it! You may want to apply to that resource again or one of your colleagues may want to apply. Making sure you fulfill the reporting requirements. Writing thank you notes and ful- filling reporting requirements help make it more likely that you or your school will win additional funds from that source in the future. Another thing to remember is that not every grant ap- plication wins. It may take a few tries before you receive funding for your idea, don’t give up. In some cases, when applying for grants, we have written for the same grant a few times with different ideas before winning. Also after losing on one application, sometimes we modify an idea and submit it on a different application. Don’t get discour- aged because you don’t always win on the first try. Good Luck! About the Author: Becky Garzella has been helping to write grants at Mountainville Academy Charter School for about 4 years. As a retired engineer she has a passion for excellence in education and is excited to volunteer to help the teachers at her school.